Radel Opponent Considering Another Run After Congressman's Cocaine Plea

The embattled freshman won his 2012 GOP primary with just 30 percent of the vote.

Chauncey Goss, who finished second to freshman Rep. Trey Radel, R-Fla., in a packed primary last year, said Wednesday he's considering running for Congress again in 2014—and that supporters have gotten in touch in the last day to discuss another campaign.

"I'm considering it," Goss said in an interview. "I'm looking at it. This is all 12 hours old, so it wasn't really on my radar. It now is. I'm certainly going to take a look at it."

Radel pleaded guilty to cocaine possession in Washington on Wednesday and was sentenced to one year of probation. He apologized for his conduct in court and said that he wants to keep "serving this country," according to The Washington Post.

The cocaine charge has been in the news for less than 24 hours, when Politico first reported the court filing against Radel.

Florida's 19th Congressional District, which is heavily Republican, was left open in 2012 when then-Rep. Connie Mack decided to run for the Senate. Mack deflected speculation about a possible congressional comeback, The Miami Heraldreported, saying in a statement that it's "premature to respond to or consider political questions at this time."

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Radel won a six-way GOP primary last year with 30 percent of the vote, while Goss, the son of former House member and CIA Director Porter Goss, finished second with 21.5 percent. Goss said Wednesday he might have split support with two state House members who were also seeking the seat.

Goss, who has been running a consulting firm focused on federal fiscal policy, stressed that he would need to discuss a potential campaign with his family before committing to anything, and he said the fallout from Radel's charges and guilty plea are still unclear. But Goss mentioned his work has reinforced his original desire to serve in Congress.

"I will say, the reason I ran is that the country's in a bad financial situation," Goss said. "I think I've got the skills to help with that. It's certainly not in a better financial situation today, the parameters haven't really changed there."